Tile building construction



Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

I: l 6% a 6 v a H 9 Q 10 0 w HALVER R. STRAIGHT, F ADEL, IOWA.

TILE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION. l

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

Application filed December 20, 1917. Serial No. 207,999. I

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HALvnn R. STRAIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Adel, in the county of Dallas and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tile Building Construction,

-- of which the following in a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a construction which is light and at the same time adapted to efliciently resist shearing stress. My construction, in consequence of such features, is particularly adapted to use upon beams.

As is Well known, the erection of walls upon beams is likely to result in a cracking or breaking down of the units (such as brick, blocks or tiles) forming the wall by reason of the shearing stress to which such structures are subjected. The danger from such deterioration is increased where the builder, for the purpose of reducing weight and conserving material, or to provide air spaces, employs hollow blocks or tile. My purpose is to provide a construction which will minimize the effect of shearing in such hollow block or tile construction.

This object and other objects will more fully hereinafter appear in the following specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tile employed in my construction; Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a wall constructed in accord ance with my invention.

Referring to the drawings, I have used the letter A to indicate a hollow, open-end tile having four outer right surfaces 10, 11, 12 and 13. A longitudinal marginal flange 14, having a right shoulder 15 on one side, is formed with its outer face a continuance of the surface 10, and in the surface 11, opposite said surface 10, is formed a rabbet 16 to provide a longitudinal right shoulder 17 substantially opposite to said shoulder 15 of the flange 14. To compensate for the rabbet 16, the adjacent walls of the block are thickened internally at 18, preferably on a reverse curve with the convex portion thereof internally opposite the apex of the rabbet 16.

In constructing a beam wall from my tiles, I first provide a U-beam 19, preferably of concrete reinforced by rods 20 embedded therein. A series of spaced transverse channels 21 isformed in the upper horizontal surface of the beam and a series of tiles is placed on such surface with a layer of mortar upon all four sides of each tile, the

surfaces 12 and 13 of adjoining tiles lying face to face. The flanges 14. of successive tiles of this series are directed alternately upward and downward, a flange 14 and surface 11 of adjacent tiles occupying each channeled portion 21 of the beam, and the shoulders 15 and 17 respectively of such tiles abutting against the vertical sides of the channels 21. A surface 10 and rabbet 16 of adjacent tiles overlie the raised portion 22 of the beam.

To break joints with the first course of tiles, the second course is laid by overturning a tile and placing its shoulder 15 adj acent to the corresponding shoulder of a lower tile. The following tiles of the course are then laid as in the first course, surfaces 12 and 13 of adjoining tiles lying face to face and the flanges 14 of successive tiles being directed alternately upward and downward. When the tiles are so laid, the contour of the horizontal channeled surface of the beam 19 is duplicated in each course of tiles.

' When the second course is laid as stated,

shoulders 17 of alternate tiles in the first and second courses abut against each other.

In so laying the second course, a space equal to one-half the width of a tile is left at each end of such course, and said spaces may be filled by bricks or small tile 23.

The following courses correspond alternately to the first and second courses.

Fig. 4 shows the embracing arms 24 of the U-beam 19 as rising to a height of more than four courses, but in many instances a height of such arms of one or two courses will be found suflieient, since the principal function of such arms in connection with my wall is to hold the lower courses of tile against lateral displacement. When such lower courses are so held, the upper courses are interlocked therewith and are, therefore, secure against shearing.

I have demonstrated by repeated tests that a wall constructed as heretofore specified is not merely light, but is also adapted to eflieiently resist shearing stresses, since the eo-action of the shoulders 15 and 17 respectively with a corresponding part of an adjacent tile prevents lateral displacement of the individual units composing my wall, and the thickened tile walls contigw ous to the rabbet 1'6 insure against crushing.

While I have shown a preferred 'embodiment of my construction, I do not limit myself to the specific details shown, as it is obvious that changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: p I

1. In a wall construction, a beam, having end abutments and transverse channels in w and bottom, sale shoulders err-gaging correspondingshonlders of adjacent tiles to pre- Qti'lifim bftlfl iffitent'mefy be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

vent lateral displacement and the shoulders upward and downward and each of said transverse channels being proportioned to receive the flange of one tile and the rab bete'd surface of the horizontally adjacent tile, so that the upper surfaces of each course of tiles will duplicate the contour of the channeled surface of the 'U-beam.

Whereof, I have hereunto'subscribed my name to this specification.

HALV ERzR. STRAIGHT.

'Washington, D. 0. V 

